Unless the Raiders make a trade for Antonio Brown this offseason, the team is going to have a need at the wide receiver position entering the 2019 NFL Draft. That much we know. However, how they plan to address that need remains to be seen.
Oakland could decide to select a receiver in the first round, or they could opt to let the depth of the position aid them in the draft. In Todd McShay’s latest mock draft, the Raiders took a receiver in the first round. However, that player is someone we haven’t discussed much here at the Raiders Wire; Ohio State’s Parris Cambell. Take a look at all three of his picks, courtesy of ESPN:
4. Oakland Raiders
Josh Allen, OLB, Kentucky
24. Oakland Raiders (from Chicago Bears)
Byron Murphy, CB, Washington
27. Oakland Raiders (from Dallas Cowboys)
Parris Campbell, WR, Ohio State
Campbell was one of the stars of the NFL Combine, running a 4.31 40-yard dash. In college, he was primarily used as an underneath receiver, but Campbell put up massive stats doing so. In 2018, Campbell caught 90 passes for 1,063 yards and nine touchdowns. However, he’s still a relatively raw receiver.
If the Raiders are going to draft a receiver in the first round, they likely need more of a traditional X-receiver, rather than a gadget, underneath receiver. As great as Campbell’s potential is, this is just too risky for the Raiders in the first round.
